Insole holddown for lasting machines



June 15, 1954 Filed July 16, 1951 r. P. COURQ-[ENE- ,680,864

INSOLE HOLDDOWN FOR LASTING MACHLNES 4 Sheefcs-Sheet l I in van forTheodohe f? Cou/"c/zene 5y .ihzls Azzor'ney June 15, 1954 -r. P.COURCHENE 2,680,364

INSOLE HOLDDOWN FOR LASTING MACHINES Filed July 16, 1951 4 Sheets-811g 2[raven zOP- Theodore .PCou rchene 53 his Azto/fnegy June 15, 1954 T. P.COURCHENE 2,680,364

INSOLE HOLDDOWN FOR LASTING MACHINES Filed July 16 1951 4 sheets-sheet 3Inventor" Theodor P Cou r-chene By his Attorney June 15, 1954 T. P.CQURCHENE 2,680,864

INSOLE HOLDDOWN FOR LASTING MACHINES Filed July 16, 1951 4 sheets sheet4 frwen I01" Theodor-e P Cou rc/zene B z/ his Attorney Patented June 15,1954 UNITED STATE ATENT OFFICE INSOLE HOLDDOWN FOR LAS'TING MACHINESApplication July 16, 1951, Serial No. 236,908

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to lasting machines, and is herein shown asapplied to a machine the general organization of which is substantiallyas disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,843,232, granted onFebruary 2, 1932, on an application of B. J'orgensens. It is to beunderstood, however, that the invention is not limited to thisillustrative embodiment.

Machines such as shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent are usedfor lasting tennis shoes or the like which are commonly made on metallasts and in the lasting of which the uppers are secured to insoles onthe lasts by adhesion. Such a machine includes toe-lasting mechanism,heel-lasting mechanism and opposite side-lasting mechanisms, whereby theentire shoe is lasted. The operator mounts a last bottom upward in themachine with an upper loosely positioned thereon and while controllingthe loose upper with his hands presses with his knee on a plunger whichcauses the heel-lasting'mechanism and the sidelasting mechanisms to bemoved inwardly by springs into positions to clamp the upper against theheel end and sides of the last. Thereafter he positions a loose insoleon the bottom of the last and starts the power operation of the"machine, whereupon the last and shoe are moved downward with theheel-lasting mechanism relatively to the toe-lasting mechanism and thesidelasting mechanisms by a toe presser foot and a,

heel presser foot engaging the toe and heel ends of the insolerespectively, as explained in detail in the above-mentioned LettersPatent. The toe presser foot is carried by an arm which, by means of ahandle thereon, the operator swings forwardly about a vertical toposition the presser foot over the toe end of the shoe, and by thisswinging movement of the arm the machine is started. The operator isaccustomed thus to swing the arm with his left hand and at the same timeto hold the loose insole against displace ment by engaging it with thethumb and one or more fingers of his right hand over the forepart of thelast. It will be understood that upon the starting of the machine thetoe presser foot is.)

carried downwardly into engagement with the insole.

The present invention provides means for relieving the operator of thenecessity of holding the insole as above described when he starts the;

Among other advantages, this insures descends. For the purpose in view,the construction shown comprises a holddown arranged to engage theinsole and to press it on the bottom of the forepart of the last, andmeans for thus applying the holddown to the insole after the operatorhas properly positioned the latter on the last but prior to the startingof the machine. In order that the holddown may be moved from an initialretracted position into insole-engaging position with as littleinconvenience and effort as possible on the operators part, a member isarranged conveniently to be engaged and depressed by the operators leftarm while he is holding the insole with both his hands in properrelation to the last and by such depression to move the holddown in apredetermined path to a position over the bottom of the shoe, whereupona spring acts automatically to move the holddownwardly into engagementwith the insole. At the proper time in the operation of the machine theholddown is retracted from the shoe, a poweroperated member serving tomove it vertically upward away from the shoe, whereupon theabove-mentioned spring acts automatically to swing it away from over theshoe to its initial position.

The above and other features of the invention, including various noveldetails of construction and combination of parts, will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andthereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of portions of the machine to whichthe invention is herein shown as applied, to the parts being shown asthey appear shortly after the starting of the power operation of themachine;

Fig. 2 shows mainly in elevation the left-hand upper portion of themachine as viewed from the right with reference to Fig. 1, the partsbeing in the same positions as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the toelasting mechanism and partsassociated therewith for purposes of this invention;

Fig. 4 shows in elevation certain parts included in the machine asviewed in the opposite direction from the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view in the same direction as Fig. 2 of the parts providedfor purposes of this invention with these parts in their initialpositions.

In view of the disclosure in the aboveeme'ntioned Letters Patent, onlysuch portions of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for anunderstanding of the invention will be herein 'gina-l portion of theupper.

V described. The last and shoe are supported bottom upward for thelasting operation by a vertically movable slide '2 (Fig. l) mounted tomove downwardly in guideways in the frame against the resistance of aspring l and also by a downwardly movable toe rest 5, the slide 2 beingprovided with a last pin 6 arranged to enter the usual spindle hole inthe heel end of a metal last. For lasting the shoe the machine isprovided with toe-lasting mechanism 8, heel-lasting mechanism It andopposite side-lasting mechanisms 52 (Figs. 1 and 4) the heel-lastingmechanism being carried by the slide 2 to move down wardly and upwardlytherewith relatively to the toe-lasting mechanism and the side-lastingmechanisms. The side-lasting mechanisms (Fig. 4) include flexible strapsi4 arranged to be pressed against the sides of the shoe by blocks itmounted on arms it to cause them to wipe the upper heightwise of thelast in response to downward movement of the last, and also includefingers which act thereafter through the straps hi to lay the marginalportion of the upper inwardly over the insole. Associated with thesidelasting mechanisms in the machine herein shown are clamping fingers2!, which, simultaneously with the starting of the power operation ofthe machine, are moved inwardly to positions over the bottom of theshoe, as illustrated in 1. 4, and at the beginning of the cycle ofoperations are thereafter moved downwardly and outwardly into positionsto clamp the marginal portions of the upper against the straps it beforethe shoe is moved downwardly, as disclosed in a copending application ofmine Serial No. 166,389, filed on June 6, 1950.

In presenting the work to the machine the operator mounts the last, withthe upper loosely assembled thereon, on the last pin 6, and whileholding the upper with his fingers in proper relation to the last hepresses with his knee on a plunger (not shown) whichcorresponds to theplunger 72 shown in Letters Patent No. 1,843,232, and thereby causes theheel-lasting mechanism and the opposite side-lasting mechanisms to moveinwardly toward the shoe into positions to clamp and hold the upperagainst the last. The operator then places a loose insole on the bottomof the last within the more or less upstanding mar- Thereafter, upon thestarting of the power operation of the machine, the shoe is moveddownwardly with the slide 2 and the heel-lasting mechanism relatively tothe toe-lasting mechanism and the side-lasting mechanisms by a heelpresser foot 22 (Fig. 1) engaging the heel'end of the insole and a toepresser foot 24 (Fig. 2) engaging the toe end of the insole. The toepresser foot is carried by an arm 23 mounted to swing forwardly andrearwardly about the vertical axis of a post 23 on which it is secured,this arm being provided with a handle 39 by which the operator swings itforwardly with his left hand to carry the toe presser foot into positionover the toe end of the shoe. By means not herein shown in detail, butconstructed as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,843,232, the startingof the machine is effected by this forward swinging movement of the arm25, the starting means including a member 32 (Fig. 1) which correspondsto the member 495 shown in said Letters Patent. To insure againstdisplacement of the loose insole relatively to the last until after thepresser feet 22 and 24 have engaged the insole, it is customary for theoperator to hold the insole in proper position by the bar in thatposition with the holddowh 3 engaging it with the thumb and one or morefingers of his right hand over the forepart of the last.

As a safeguard against possible injury of the operators right hand bybeing caught between the toe presser foot E i and the insole or, if themachine is provided with the clamping fingers, by being engaged by thesefingers when they are operated, the present invention provides means forcontrolling the insole in such manner that the operator need not use hisright hand for this purpose at the time when he starts the machine. Thiscontrolling means includes a holddown 34 having downwardly extendingfingers 36 spaced apart widthwise of the shoe for engagement with theinsole over the forepart of the last. The holddown is pivotally mountedon a stud 3?, threaded in the downturned front end of a forwardly andrearwardly extending rod 40 to permit it to adjust itself to the bottomof the shoe. A spring =22 connected to the rod and the holddown holdsthe latter normally in a relation to the rod which is approximately thatwhich it assumes upon engagement with the insole. The rod 43 near itsrear end extends through a sleeve it formed integral with a block 46which is adjustable upwardly or downwardly on the upper endof adownwardly extendingbar t8 and is held in adjusted position by a clampscrew 50 extending into the bar through a slot in the block. Threaded onthe rod at at the opposite ends of. the sleeve 5% are nuts 52 by whichthe rod and the holddown 3d thereon may be secured in diiferentpositions of adjustment widthwise of. the shoe relatively to the bar 38.

The bar 18 is supported on a bracket 5s which is secured on the rear ofa slide 56 adjustable lengthwise oi the shoe and supporting thetoelasting mechanism El, this slide corresponding to that identified as232' in Letters Patent No. 1,843,232. The lower portion of the bar ifiis confined laterally between avertical web 58 formed on the bracket 54and a member 553 cooperating with the web to provide a guideway in whichthe bar is movable downwardly and upwardly and may also swing forwardlyand rearwardly. The bar 48' is further guided and controlled a verticalslot 52 in the web 55 through which extends a stud fi l on thelower endoi the bar, and by a slot 56 in the web in which lies a roll 53 carriedby the bar. As shown in Fig. 5, the slot 8t has diiferent portions indivergent relation to each other, comprising a vertical portion parallelto the slot 52 and a rearwardly and downwardly inclined' curved portionthe rear lower endof which the roll 53 lies when the bar (iii is in itsinitial position. A'springl6 connected to the bar and to a lug $2 on theweb 58 tends to hold retracted rearwardly from the position which itoccupies when over a shoe. To cause the holddown 3 5 to be applied toinsole the bar 38 is swung forwardly about'the axis of the stud fi luntil the roll 58 on the bar arrives at the junction of the twodifferent portions of the slot 55, at whichtimethe holddown ispositioned directly over the insole on the last. As soon as the rollarrives in that position the springlfi automatically moves the bar 458and the holddown bodily downward in a rectilinear path until theholddown engages the insole and presses it against the bottom of thelast. For thus swinging the bar i forwardly there is rotatably mountedin a pair of upstanding lugs i l formed on a cover plate l6 positionedover the the trated in Fig. 3.

toe-lasting mechanism a forwardly and rearwardly extending shaft 218having fast on its front end an arm 88 on the left-hand end of which ismounted a rubber pad 82. Fast on the rear end portion of the shaft 18and extending therefrom in the opposite direction as compared with thearm 83 is an arm as connected by a downwardly extending link 86 to ashort arm 86 fast on a small rockshaft 9G mounted in a lug on the member68, the connection between the link 85 and the arm 88 including a balljoint. Also fast on this rockshaft is an upwardly and rearwardlyextending arm 92 of angular shape, an end portion. of which is inposition to engage the rear edge of the bar it. It will thus be seenthat in response to downward pressure applied to the pad 82 the link 85is moved upwardly to cause the arm 92 to impart forward swingingmovement to the bar 18 until the roll 68 arrives at the upper end of thevertical portion of the slot 65. The pad 82 is so positioned that theoperator may conveniently move it downwardly by engaging it with hisleft arm while he is using both hands to position and hold the insole inproper relation to the last. Not only is the operator thus relieved ofthe necessity of thereafter holding the insole properly positioned onthe last with one hand while he swings the arm 25 forwardly with theother hand to start the machine, but the pressure applied to the insoleby the holddown 35 under the influence of the spring Hi is such as toafford better insurance that the insole will be securely held in properposition until it is engaged by the presser feet 22' and 24. When theshoe is moved downwardly by the presser feet, the holddown 35 is moveddownwardly with it by the spring '10, the slot 62 and the verticalportion of the slot 65 extending far enough downwardly to permit this.

The holddown 3s engages the insole between the extreme end portions ofwipers 94 (Fig. 2) which are parts of the toe-lasting mechanismcorresponding to the wipers 298 of Letters Patent No. 1,843,232. Toprevent interference with these wipers provision is afforded forreturning the holddown 3 1 to its initial position prior to anysubstantial inward movements of the wipers. Conveniently the holddown ismoved reversely upward away from the shoe through connections withmechanism included in the machine for operating the wipers. As disclosedin Letters Patent No. 1,843,232, the wipers 9d are operated by a pair ofrack bars 95 each engaged by a gear sector 58 fast on a rockshait lfiii(Fig. 3), only one of the gear sectors being herein shown. For thepurpose in view this gear sector engages and operates another gearsector Hi2 pivotally mounted on an L-shaped bracket iii/i one arm ofwhich is secured by screws H355 to the cover plate '55. Integral withthe gear sector 982 is an arm ifi-i on which is pivotally mounted amember Hi3 provided with a bore through which extends a rod i itconnected at its lower end by a ball joint to the stud Ed on the lowerend of the bar 8. On the upper end of the rod Hii is formed an enlargedhead H2 which, as shown in Fig. is positioned initially a substantialdistance above the member H38. When the holddown is applied to theinsole and the shoe is thereafter moved downwardly in the mannerhereinbefore described, the rod I H3 is moved downwardly by the I bar 48until its head H2 is nearly in position to engage the member it on thearm I55, as illus- When the wipers are operated to wipe the marginalportion of the toe end of the upper inwardly over the insole the arm I06is swung upwardly, causing the member I08 to raise the rod H0 andthereby to move the bar 18 and the holddown vertically upward until theroll 68 arrives at the upper end of the vertical portion of the slot 66.When the roll arrives in this position the spring 10 automaticallyswings the bar 48 rearwardly to carry the holddown away from over theshoe, the spring being so arranged relatively to the bar that it acts,when permitted, thus to swing the bar. In this manner the bar isreturned to the position determined by engagement of the roll 68 withthe web 58 at the lower rear end of the rearwardly inclined portion ofthe slot 66.

The manner in which the holddown 34 is operated and controlled havingthus been fully explained in connection with the description of thestructure provided, no further description of the operation isnecessary. While the holddown, in the construction herein shown, isdisclosed as for holding a loose insole in position on the last, it isto be understood that in various novel aspects the invention is notlimited to a holddown which serves this particular purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward for alasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, said holddown being mounted for movement by the operator from aninitial retracted position to a position over the bottom of the shoe, aspring arranged to move the holddown automatically downwardly intoengagement with the shoe upon its arrival in position over the bottom ofthe shoe, and means for supporting the holddown against downwardmovement by said spring until it has arrived in that position and forthen releasing it to the action of the spring.

2. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward for alasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, said holddown being mounted for movement by the operator widthwiseof the shoe from an initial retracted position to a position over thebottom of the shoe, and a spring arranged to impart to the holddownautomatically rectilinear downward movement into engagement with theshoe upon its arrival in position over the bottom of the shoe.

3. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward for alasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, means for guiding said holddown for movement in a predeterminedpath first from an initial retracted position to a position over thebottom of the shoe and thereafter downwardly into engagement with theshoe, means movable by the operator thus to move the holddown intoposition over the bottom of the shoe, and a spring arranged to impart tothe-holddown automatically its downward movement into engagement withthe shoe upon its arrival in position over the bottom of the shoe, saidguiding means being arranged to support the holddown against downwardmovement by said spring until it has arrived in that position and forthen releasing it to the action of the spring.

4. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward for alasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, means for guiding said holddown first for swinging movementwidthwise of the shoe from an initial retracted position to a positionover the bottom of the shoe and thereafter for rectilinear downwardmovement into engagement with the shoe, means movable by the operatorthus to swing the holddown to its position over the botttom of the shoe,and a spring arranged to impart to the holddown automatically itsdownward movement upon its arrival in position over the bottom of theshoe.

5. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward for alasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, means for guiding said holddown for movement in a predeterminedpath first from an initial retracted position to a position over thebottom of the shoe and thereafter downwardly into engagement with theshoe, said guiding means bein: provided with a slot having difterentportions arranged in divergent relation to each other to guide theholddown respectively in its movement into position over the shoe and inits movement downwardly into engagement with the shoe, the holddownbeing movable by the operator to the position over the shoe, and aspring arranged to impart to the holddown automaticaliy its downwardmovement into engagement with the shoe upon its arrival in position overthe shoe.

5. In a lasting inaohine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward fora lasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, a support for said holddown movable to carry it from an initialretracted position into shoe-engaging position, guiding means for saidsupport provided with a slot having diiierent portions arranged indivergent relation to each other, a member oarried by said support andmovable along said slot, one portion of the slot being arranged to guidethe holddown for movement from its initial retracted position to aposition over the bottom of the shoe and the other portion of the slotbeing arranged to guide it for downward movement thereafter intoengagement with the shoe, means for moving said holddown support tocarry the holddown thus into position over the shoe, and a springarranged to act on said support to move the holddown automaticallydownward into engagement with the shoe upon arrival of said member atthe junction of the different portions of the slo '7. In a lastingmachine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward for a lastingoperation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of the shoe, meansfor guiding said holddown for movement from an initial retractedposition to a position over the bottom of the shoe and there after fordownward movement into engagement with the shoe, means for moving theholddown reversely upward to withdraw it from the shoe, and a springarranged to be subjected to stress by such upward movement of theholddown and LIL to inpart thereto automatically reverse move- 'ment toits initial position in the path determined the shoe, means providedwith a slot having an inclined portion for guiding said holddown. firstfor swinging movement widthwise of the shoe from an initial retractedposition to a position over the bottom of the shoe and another portion 7arranged to guide it thereafter for downward movement into engagementwith the shoe, means for moving the holddown reversely upward towithdraw it from the shoe, and a spring arranged to be subjected tostress by such upward movement of the holddown and to impart theretoautomatically reverse swinging movement in the path determined by theinclined portion of said slot upon its arrival at the end of its upwardmovement.

9. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe botto'nupward for alasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of shoe,for guiding said holddown for movemen in. a predetermined path firstfrom an initial retracted position to a position over the bottom of theshoe thereafter downwardly into engagement with the shoe, a springarranged to impart to the holddown automatically its downward movementinto engagement with the shoe upon its arrival in position over thebottom of shoe. and n eans for moving the holddown to withdraw it fromthe shoe, said spring being further arranged to return the holddownautcin cally to its initial retracted position in the pain determined bysaid guiding means upon its arrival at the end of its upward movement.

10. In a lasting machine, means for supporting a shoe bottom upward fora lasting operation thereon, a holddown for engaging the bottom of theshoe, means provided with a slot having an inclined portion for guidingsaid holddown first for swinging movement widthwise of the shoe from aninitial retracted position to a position over the bottom of the shoe andanother portion arranged to guide it thereafter for downward movementinto engagement with the shoe, a spring arranged to impart to theholddown automatically its downward movement'upon its arrival'inposition over the bottom of the shoe, and

means for moving the holddown upwardly towithdraw it from the shoe, saidspring being further arranged to swing the holddown automatically to itsinitial retracted position in the path determined by the inclinedportion of said slot upon its arrival at the end of its upward movement.

11. In a lasting machine, means for supporting bottornupward a last andshoe including an insole loose on the last, a holddown mounted formovement from an initial retracted position into position to engage theinsole and to hold it in proper relation to the last, a member arrangedto be engaged and moved by one of the operators arms while he is holdingthe insole properly positioned on the last with both hands, means forimparting to the holddown a portion of its movement towardinsole-engaging position by the movement of said member, and a springarranged to complete automatically the movement of the holddowntoinsole-engaging position upon its arrival in the position to which itis moved by said.

member.

12; In a lasting machine, means for supporting bottom upward a last andshoe including an insole loose on the last, a holddown for engaging theinsole and holding it in proper relation to the last, said holddownbeing mounted for movement from an initial retracted position to aposition over the bottom of the shoe and for movement thereafterdownwardly into engagement with the insole, a member arranged to beengaged and moved by one of the operators arms while he is holdingtheinsole properly positioned on the last with both hands, meansformoving the holddown from its initial position into position over thebottom of the shoe by the movement of said member, and a spring arrangedto move the holddown automatically downward into engagement with theinsole upon its arrival in position over the bottom of the shoe.

13. In a lasting machine, means for supporting bottom upward a last andshoe including an insole loose on the last, a holddown for engaging theinsole and holding it in proper relation to the last, means for guidingsaid holddown first for swinging movement widthwise of the shoe from aninitial retracted position to a position over the bottom of the shoe andthereafter for downward movement into engagement with the insole, amember arranged to be engaged and moved by one of the operators armswhile he is holding the insole properly positioned on the last with bothhands, means for imparting to the holddown its swinging movement intoposition over the shoe by the movement of said member, and a springarranged to impart to the holddown automatically its downward movementinto engagement with the insole upon its arrival in position over thebottom of the shoe.

References Cited in the file of thi patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

